The Politics of Government Communication: An Examination of the Work Practices of Government Communication Professionals in Queensland and the Netherlands

Abstract

The nature of government communication in a range of global settings has received growing attention from scholars around the world. However, no considered examination of the subject exists that provides either an account of the contemporary landscape regarding government communication, or an exploration of common and diverging themes on a cross-national basis. This thesis aims to fill this gap. It elucidates the work practices of government communication professionals in Queensland and the Netherlands and considers these practices within their political contexts and national cultures: the Westminster system and a “masculine” society in Australia versus the multiparty system and a “feminine” society in the Netherlands. The study builds on the work of Dutch-American political scientist Arend Lijphart, who found that policies supported by a broad consensus are more likely to be successful than policies imposed by a “decisive” government against the wishes of broad sections of society; as well as on research done by Dutch social psychologist Geert Hofstede, who distinguishes between so-called “masculine societies” such as Australia where “the winner takes it all” and “feminine societies” such as the Netherlands where participation is more important than winning. The degree and forms of changes surrounding the work practices of government communication professionals are to a large extent determined by the cultural and political context in which they take place and thus cannot be assumed universal.